Bagram Airbase was the nerve center of America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan and a unique strategic vantage point at the crossroads of South, Central, and West Asia. Its loss created a void in US power projection that over-the-horizon operations cannot fill.
The Pakistan-Saudi Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement marks a historic shift from informal cooperation to a binding security alliance. Anchored in collective defense and deterrence, the pact reshapes Gulf security, challenges reliance on Western guarantees, and positions Islamabad as a formal net security provider in the region.
From the Arab Spring to Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya, street revolutions have ignited extraordinary hope, toppling entrenched rulers and inspiring global headlines. But history shows a harsher truth: these uprisings rarely deliver the transformation they promise. Once the euphoria fades, fractured coalitions give way to elite capture, military takeovers, or outright collapse. Without resilient institutions, the energy of the streets is easily co-opted, leaving ordinary citizens facing the same injustices under new faces.
For two decades, Pakistan has endured TTP-led violence. Now, a rare consensus among Deobandi, Barelvi, and Ahl-e-Hadith scholars delegitimizes the insurgency and redefines jihad versus rebellion.
Pakistan is once again at a critical juncture in its war against terrorism. A resurgent Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has intensified its attacks, posing a severe
Israel’s unprecedented strike in Doha has reignited calls for a collective Muslim defence pact. Can the Crescent Security Initiative succeed where past efforts failed?
The Taliban’s hostility toward Pakistan is not confined to isolated voices. Rooted in religious narratives that brand Islamabad as “un-Islamic” and reinforced by incendiary speeches and propaganda, this rhetoric fosters deep mistrust. While official representatives preach cooperation, commanders and ideologues openly glorify conflict, creating a dangerous contradiction between diplomacy and reality.
Israel’s airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha marks more than a breach of Qatari sovereignty, it is a direct challenge to US authority and the fragile rules-based international order. The attack exposes Washington’s inability to restrain its ally, while raising profound questions about Gulf security, Arab solidarity, and the future of international law.
Ahmad Shah Massoud’s life embodied both heroism and controversy. Celebrated as the Lion of Panjshir for his defiance of the Soviets and Taliban, he was also criticized for his role in Afghanistan’s civil war and the atrocities linked to his forces. His legacy endures as a symbol of resistance and division alike.
For over seven decades, Pakistan’s role in UN peacekeeping has defined its international standing. From the Congo in 1960 to modern missions in South Sudan and the DRC, Pakistani peacekeepers have shown courage, adaptability, and sacrifice. Their legacy is one of humanitarian commitment and global service.